Leon Logothetis navigated some situations on the first part of his around-the-world journey, but the transatlantic crossing wasn't one of them.

Leon Logothetis navigated some situations on the first part of his around-the-world journey, but the transatlantic crossing wasn't one of them. (Greg Pappas)

Leon Logothetis

“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore."

-- Christopher Columbus

It wasn't easy finding a shipping company that would take me and my bright yellow Chang Jiang motorcycle and sidecar, dubbed Kindness One, across the Atlantic for free, but once I did, I was elated, then slightly worried about a 10-day journey across the vast Atlantic.

What would the weather be like? What ailments might strike me down? I had to prepare myself for anything and everything.

But then this around-the-world journey, which began Aug. 10 in Los Angeles, is about the unknown. I do not know where my next meal will come from. I don't know where I'll sleep on any given night. I never know whether my sometimes cranky motorcycle will keep on keeping on.

All I know from day to day is that I am relying on the kindness of strangers to help me navigate the globe. With no money and no means, I am at their mercy, and so far, those strangers have shown me great mercy -- a family in Las Vegas that sheltered me, cowboys in Nebraska who took me under their wing and a homeless man in Pittsburgh who did the same.

Kindness One safely in its container, I had to put aside my worries and relax a little after my two-week, transcontinental trip. After scrambling for shelter and housing, I was now in the hands of the crew. There would be no shortage of food and accommodation and no need for any gasoline.

Eat. Sleep. Eat. Eat. Rest. Eat. I was making up for lost time and recharging my batteries for the next leg of my ambitious trip. I would be arriving in Barcelona, Spain, and from there, heading for Vietnam.

When I touched down in Barcelona the daily “Kindness” grind would begin again and so too would the journey of a lifetime. Land, my friends. It’s a beautiful -- but challenging -- thing.